The present invention relates to ovens and, in particular, to commercial ovens in which dough products are baked.
Commercial baking ovens for dough products may comprise a baking chamber within which an endless conveyor belt travels. The conveyor belt may comprise a chain and a series of carriers connected to the chain for travel in a helical path within the chamber. The chamber is heated to a desired baking temperature and the conveyor belt carries pans of dough through the heated chamber at a prescribed rate of speed suitable for a proper baking of the dough. Heating of the chamber may be accomplished by positioning gas burners beneath the vertically spaced runs of the conveyor, the burners being oriented parallel to the path of travel of the conveyor belt.
It would be desirable to establish a uniform baking temperature within the chamber to achieve an ideal baking action. In practice, however, such temperature uniformity throughout the chamber has been difficult to attain, due in part to the normal upward convection of heat within the chamber. While the problem can be alleviated to some extent by adjusting the heat output of the various burners, different temperatures may still occur throughout the height of the chamber. As a result, it is difficult to achieve an ideal and uniform baking performance.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to minimize or obviate problems of the type discussed above.
A further object is to improve the baking performance and achieve more uniform results.
Another object is to achieve a more uniform temperature within a baking chamber.
A further object is to establish a positive air flow and a more uniform redistribution of heated air within the chamber.